Billing carbon



Dec. 17, 1940. K. FLEISCHMANN BILLING CARBON Filed Nov. 3, 1938 L INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE p BILLING CARBON Lester K. Fleischmann, Chicago, Ill. Application Nevember 3, 193s, serial No. 238,590

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to manifolding devices and more particularly to a carbon sheet having a leader attached thereto for use on typewriters and billing machines adapted to economize and facilitate the use of carbon paper.

An important object of the invention is in the provision of a paper leader attached at one end to a carbon strip and adapted to be connected at various points to different types of manifolding machines.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a leader foldable under or extensible at the end of a carbon sheet and adapted to be connected at either end of the leader with a carrier for moving the carbon in its operation in a manifolding machine.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a carbon sheet with an extension leader having side projections adapted toengage one or both edges of sheets above and below `the leader and the carbon for aligning and accurately positioning the leader and the carbon paper with respect to the sheets.l

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of an extension leader for carbon paper having means for accurately positioning carbon paper at the end thereof and releasibly binding the paper in place. a

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of theinvention, in which Fig. 1 shows an extension .leader sheet and a carbon sheet in accordance with this invention before they are attached together in end to end 35 relation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the carbon and leader sheets attached and folded between sheets to be manifolded and attached near their junction to transverse bars shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing the leader sheets extended and connected at the other end to the same bar as in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the engagement of the positioning tongues in the sheets above and below the extension leader sheets.

This invention is applicable to typewriters, billing machines, and other manifolding devices, and particularly those equipped to carry and type continuous forms. These require .long strips of carbon paper interposed between the billing forms and they are usually fastened to a specialA carbon carrier at the back of the machine. After the form at the end of the strip is typed and mani- 'follded on the copies, the carbon papers are pushed back, the completed forms are torn 01T,

and the carbons are in place for the next invoice to be typed. As the lower edges of the carbons become worn they are torn off several inches at a time until finally the carrier comes close to the platen of the machine. A strip of carbon then remains leading from the carrier to the writing line of the machine which must be wasted. This paper leader mounted at the end of the carbon strip eliminates this waste. By providing means at .both ends of the leader for attaching it to the lo carrier, the leader may rst be folded over-or under the carbon sheet and then as the used end of the carbon sheet istorn off the leader itself may be extended, thus permitting the use of a longer strip of carbon inthe machine without 15 replacement. A further advantage `of the leader is that the carbon may be attached to the carrier without contact with the carbon surface and the construction of the leader insures perfect alignment since its folds and aligning devices are made i on a machine so that the carbon replacing operation is cleaner, `much faster and easier lfor an operator to handle.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a carbon sheet IIJ is attached to an extension` leader sheet I I in end to end relation by providing a transverse line I2 near the end of the leader sheet against which the end ofthe carbon sheet may be placed for accurate alignment and then Y a pasting strip I3 is applied over the end of the'v carbon sheet and against the'end `of the leader sheet in overlapping relation to hold them irmly together. This pasting strip may be of the type Amoistened byv heat or by wetting it, or it may be a 'removable pasting strip which permits the rev3- placement of new carbon sheets when the old ones are used up.

For manifolding machine billing carbons, a long carbon sheet and a relatively long leader sheetis provided and near the end of the leader -1 sheet which is attached to the carbon sheet are lines I4 and *I5 extending transversely of the sheet and spaced apart to provide a loop or fold I6 through which a hat transverse bar I'I of a manifolding machine may be inserted. TheA aligning line VI2 is positioned between the lines I4 and lI5 so that when the fold I6 is formed the line i2 will be outside, the edge of the carbon sheet I0 may be positioned in alignment thereby and the pasting strip I3 will both attach the carbon sheet to the leader and will bind the loop in xed relation at the end of the .leader sheet, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fold lines I3 and I9 are provided near the other endl of the leader sheet which may be folded around the transverse bar I'I of a manifolding machine forming a loop for retaining this end of the leader sheet in engagement with the bar as shown in Fig. 3. Thus the bar I'I for each billing carbon may be attached either at one end of the leader sheet or the other.` Other full and broken lines 20, 2| may be provided intermediate the ends for receiving other .attachment bars or devices of various other machines.

In using this extension leader in combination with a plurality of sheets 22 to be manifolded a billing carboncompr'ising an extension leader and its carbon are interposed between each pair, of sheets and when the carbon is long the extension leader is folded over above the sheet as shownin Fig. 2, or below the sheet depending upon which of the outermost sheets receives the original impression. In this case the transverse bars `I1 attached to the carbon carrier (not shown? are inserted through the loop I6 adjacent the connected end of the carbon -sheet and its leader. When however the extremity `of the ycarbon has been used and torn 'off so that the carbon is shortened, the bar I'I is removed from the loop I 6, the extension leader is unfoldedto its full length, and the other end 'of the leader is wrapped about the bar I1 forming a loop for the attachment of the bar as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the carbon may be used close to the attachment end of `the leader.

In order to hold the billing carbon vagainst lateral movement with respect to a plurality of sheets to be manifolded, as represented in Fig, 4, the edges of the extension leader between the ends thereof may project at the sides beyond the width of the manifold sheets 22 and also beyond the width ofthe carbon sheet III which is usually of the same width as the sheets 22. Inwardly extending tongues 23 are formed in these side extensions by means of circular cuts 42li having opposite cut projections 25 located in line with the edges'of the carbon sheet II) attached at one i end of the extension leader so that these -tongues may be bent upwardly or downwardly from the extension leader Ato `embrace `and fold over sheets 22 above and below the extension leader itself, `thereby serving to hold the extension leader and likewise the carbon sheet `in correct alignment and lateral position with the sheets to be manifolded until the cuts 24 and extremities 25 being of sufficient widthso that Athe edges of the sheet 22 engaged thereby will slip loosely therethrough so that in moving the billing carbon relatively to the manifold sheets 22 they will slip loosely along the edges 1maintaining their engagement with the sheets and thus keeping the extension leader and the attached carbon in proper position and relation.

In the manifolding machines having cross bars I'I of specified width, usually that of the carbon sheet itself, it is necessary that the attachment portions of the billing carbon be no wider than the Width of thecarbon sheet itself. The lateral extensions of the extension leader would overlap the ends of the bars and interfere with their 0peration. For this reason the side edges of the extension leader sheet are cut off angularly at the ends 26 so that the second fold line I5 or I9 at each `end of the extension `leader will be the same length as the width of the carbon sheet III. `This will insure that the bars I I are free from the side extensions of the iextension leader for the full length of the bars `so that there will be no interference with the operation of the bars or the carriers to which they are connected at their ends.` This billing carbon may therefore be used with a variety of different manifolding and billing machines without change or alteration, the

l length may be varied by connecting the extension even of small lengths thereof, is permitted; the

extension leader provides means for handling the carbon without soiling the hands and with least smearing of the carbon itself upon the manifold sheets and by simply extending the leader instead of replacing carbone much time is saved.

Various modifications of this billing carbon may be made without departing from the invention. The extension leader may be provided with or without theside extensions or holding tongues 23. For fan fold forms which consist of a single wide sheet of paper printed on both sides of the sheet and then inter-folded to a let ter size or other width, and the form being perforated for separating the individual copies after typing, the extension leader II is cut down in width or is provided of the same Width as the carbon sheet IIl itself, as the use of the holding tongues 23 is not necessary, there being no lateral movement of the several parts of a fan fold form.

Because the sides of the form are closed it is not only unnecessary but also impossible to me a leader with the side extensions or tongues 23. In such cases the width of the extension leader is the same as that ofthe carbon sheet itself.`

I claim: l. In a billing carbon, a carbon sheet, an extension leader therefor consisting of `a paper sheet withjtransverse `indicating lines `near both ends, the leader being yfolded on the lines at one end to form aloopfor receiving a cross bar therethrough, one end of the carbon sheet being aligned with respect to one of the lines on said fold, and a pasting strip overlapping the end of the carbon sheet and the folded end of the extension leader to hold the carbon in place and to hold the said loop in closed position.

2. In a billing carbon, a carbon sheet, an extension leader sheet therefor having transverse indicating lines at both ends, the leadersheet being folded on the indicating lines to form a loop` at one end, means for attaching the end of a carbon to this folded end, and the extension sheet at the other end being fcldable on the lines to form a loop sothat the carbon may be attached `for movement by the leader at either end thereof.

3. The combination of a ybilling carbon comprising a carbon sheet and a paper leader sheet `attached thereto in end to end relation, the leader sheet having a loop formed in the end attached to the carbon sheet and indicated fold lines at the other end ofthe leader sheet adapted to receive a rod insertable through the said loop at one end of the leader sheet, and the fold lines at the other end of the leader sheet being adapted to 'fold around` such a rod for engaging it when withdrawn from the loop for moving the carbon and its leader sheet from either end of the leader.

4. In a billing carbon, the combination with a carbon `sheet and an extension leader sheet attached to one end of the carbon sheet in aligned end to end relation, the leader sheet having side extensions beyond the width of the carbon sheet and tongues cut and extending inwardly therein from the outer line of the attached carbon sheet for engaging other sheets of the width of the car-bon sheet above and below the extension leader thereof.

5. In a manifolding device, a carbon sheet and an extension leader sheet therefor, a fold formed at one end of the leader sheet which is attached to the end of the carbon sheet, the loop being adapted to receive a moving bar inserted transversely of the sheet therethrough, the other end of the leader sheet having lines for indicating a fold to be formed in the leader sheet to embrace and engage a transverse rod at that end of the sheet, lateral extensions in the leader sheet with tongues extending inwardly from the edges adapted to engage sheets above and below of the same width as the carbon sheet, and the extremities of the leader sheet wh'ere the folds are formed being cut away to accommodate a vtransverse rod of the width of the carbon sheet.

6. In a billing carbon for manifolding machines, a carbon sheet and an extension leader sheet with transverse lines dening folds at the ends and intermediate the ends of the leader sheet, a fold formed in one end of the leader sheet, a line in the fold against which the edge of the carbon sheet is mounted, a pasting strip for attaching the sheets together and maintaining the fold at that end of the sheet, side extensions in the leader sheet between the folds in the ends thereof, means in the side extensions of the leader sheet for engaging sheets to be manifolded above and below the extension leader sheet, and the leader sheet being beveled away at the ends so that the folds may be formed and terminated at the same width as that oi the' carbon sheet.

7. In a manifolding device, the combination with a plurality of sheets to be maniiolded, of a plurality of manifolding devices, each comprising a carbon sheet and an extension leader attached thereto adapted to be positioned between the sheets, the extension leader having a fold at one end permanently attached to the carbon sheet into which a supporting cross rod is adapted to be inserted, lines forming a fold at the other end of the extension leader sheet for engaging about such a rod when it is removed from the xed fold, the extension leader sheet having side extensions beyond the edges of the sheets to be manifolded, and tongues formed in the leader sheet adapted to be bent upwardly or downwardly for engaging over the edges of the sheets to be manifolded and the extremities of the leader sheet in which the folds are formed being cut away at both sides so that the loop is formed of the same length as the sheets to be manifolded.

LESTER K. FLEISCHMANN. 

